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Qlolontl Wllil.lA?sl McUEE, \5. S). B» 



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OF 



Colonel WllililAJM 3Vlcl0LliTa, \S . ». ¥i 



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'Jo the citizens of Wilmington^ North Carolina^ m distinguished 
now for their enterprise^ hospitality and refinementt as in the 
days of the Revolution for their Patriotism, this meagre notict 
of a native of their town^ is respectfully inscribed. 



J^IIM^OIU. 



It is only in extraordinary crises that very modest men, however 
•great their capacity, are sought after to fill high stations. Thus it 
happened, that the subject of this sketch, in the maturity of his wis- 
dom and manhood, during the existence of a profound peace, was 
lost to the public eye. 

Few men have been so eminently distinguished in their profes- 
sion, and yet so little known to the mass of their countrymen. In a 
time of peril and disaster, when the weak and ignorant shrink from 
responsibility, he would have been elevated to the post of danger. — 
No position would he have accepted with so much alacrity and pride, 
for while he spurned the temptations of avarice and ordinary ambi- 
tion, his lofty aspirations panted for a theatre of action, commensurate 
with his wishes and great talents. He exhibited in his life an unu- 
sual spectacle — extensive acquirements, profound knowledge, ardent 
patriotism, combined with modesty so singularly rare. Winning the 
distinguished regard, and exciting the warm admiration of all within 
the sphere of his acquaintance, he seemed to withdraw with morbid 
sensibility from general notoriety. Ready at any moment to risk his 
life for the people that he loved, he relied for public station solely on 
his zeal, his integrity, and his merit ; willing to serve when he could 
be useful, he was never prepared, with cap in hand, to crave favor or 
office, for the sake of its emolument or distinction. He held the dema- 
gogue in contempt, and trampled with scorn upon the Jlrt of win- 
ning popular applause. 

Had he been a native of Virginia or South Carolina, his name 
would be emblazoned on the pages of their history ; but North Ca- 
rolina, though she seldom fails to blush for the disgrace of a son, is 
not often known to glory in his achievements or to vaunt his renown. 
Sober, steady, and grave in character, as she avoids the excitability of 
her neighbors, which sometimes runs into turbuleuce and riot, so is 
she without their generous and enthusiastic approval, of those who 
confer honor upon their native soil. A strong feeling of State-pride, 
actuates in his taskthe writer of this notice of a man of worth and^ge- 
nius. "The fame of a State is the aggregate fame of its citizens." 

William McRee was born in the town of Wilmington, N. C, 
the 13th day of December, in the year 1787. ^e /as the son of 
Major Griffith John McRee, and Ann Fergus. The father of Col 
Mdiee, the child of an Irish emigrant, was a native of the State of 



South Carolina. Inenrly youth he removed to North Carolina and 
made it his home for life. He was a cavalry officer in the "Continent- 
al Line," during the war of the Revolution. At the close of that 
great struggle, so productive of noble results, he was a lineal Major 
and a Col. by Brevet. He died October the 3d, 1801, at the age of 48. 

Ann Fergus, the wife of Major McRee, was the daughter of 
John Fergus, a native of North Carolina, of Scotch extraction. He 
was a graduate of the Medical College at Edinburg, and afterwards a 
surgeon in General Braddock's army. His commission is still in the 
possession of the McRee family. The mother of Col. McRee died 
at an advanced age in the Fall of 1842, after having survived all of 
her own race and name upon the Cape-Fear. She suffered many 
trials in her day, but when the arrow of Death was sped, she receiv- 
ed it standing erect in the Christian's hope, like the oak in winter, 
with its leaves and fruit strewed around its base, still pointing upward 
to the skies. 

William McRee, at the age of thirteen, about the year 1800, 
was at Pittsborough, N. C, under the care of Mr. Bingham, an ad- 
mirable instructor of youth, enjoying at that period, no little celebrity 
in his vocation. He must have made good progress in his studies, 
and must have earned the regard and approval of his teacher, for 1 
extract from a letter, addressed him by his father, in 1801 : — *' Mr. 
Bingham's report of your conduct gives us great satisfaction, and I 
flatter myself that you will continue to prove that you are worthy of 
his esteem and our affection." Here were undoubtedly sown, in a 
fertile soil, those seeds of knowledge, that were destined in after 
years to attract by the luxuiiance of their growth, and the beauty and 
excellence of their fruit. At this early age he was remarkable for a 
decision of character, a tenacity of purpose, and habit of investiga- 
tion and analysis, far beyond his classmates, indicating an unusual 
maturity. His inquisitive mind, grappling with all subjects, was not 
even awed by the majesty of our holy and beneficent Religion ; but 
discussed, and examined its authenticity and claims, with singular, 
but culpable astuteness. His father was alarmed by the freedom and 
temerity of his opinions on this sacred subject, to such a degree, that 
he wrote him at this time a very earnest letter, in which he tells his 
son that though he excel in scholarship, if his heart be unchastened 
by the pure influence of religion, his acquirements are worthless, and 
concludes : "These observations, I hope, by being duly appreciated 
by you, will tend to relieve me from the painful suspense, which the 
doubtful bias of your mind for some time past has kept me under." 

How long he remained under the charge of Mr. Bingham does 
not appear; but soon after the deu h of Major McRee, the limited 
means of his widow constrained her to withdraw her son from school. 
Few persons can appreciate the distress of the mother, and the disap- 



I 



pointment of the orphan at this painful period of their history. 

William, after his return, remained at home, under his parent*! 
humble roof, and endeavored, without success, to aid her in the sup* 
port of a large and helpless fannly, by procuring some reputable em* 
ployment. Even in the midst of no ordinary discourajjpment, the 
ardent boy never yielded to despondency, but still contrive! to feed 
his love of learning, and applied liimself assiduously to his books.— ^ 
He mocked Despair, and looked to a future that brightened with all 
the Enchantment thai Fancy could bestow. 

In the year 1803 Colonel Williams, the ♦•late venerated Chief of 
Engineers," accidentally visited Wilmington. He inquired for th6 
family of Major McRee, Who had been in former days his friend.-^^ 
Discovering in William a vigorous mind, budding with promise, the 
♦'Father of West Point" prevailed upon Mrs. McRee to place het 
iJon under his charge. It was impossible to prepare the young man 
immediately, for his departure, but the kind-hearted soldier remained 
lirttil his mother had furnished his trunk. Nor did his generosity 
cisase here ; he procured for him a ('adei's warrant. William left 
Wilmington with a purse as light as his heart, carrying nothing away 
^iih him but his mother's blessing, and the lessons of virtue she had 
instilled into his mind. The mother's prayer, as her eyes filled with 
iears for the success of her child, ascended to Heaven, and was an- 
swered by the God of the destitute. She never had to blush for het 
Son from the day that he left her until the grave claimed its victim. 

The Warrant of VVilham MrRee, as a Cadet in the Regiment of 
Ahillerists at West Point, bears date April the 14th 1803. On the 
llth day of June 1805 he was a[>poinied a Cadet in the Corps of 
Engineers. In aOef years his f ime shed no little lustre upon thii 
Institution. This useful Academy has always had many violent op* 
|)on^nts, and its existence has often been in jeopardv. At these sea*. 
Ions of threatening storms, the services of Col. McRee and her other 
|radliai§f!, by sustaining the Sinking popularitv of their **Alma Ma* 
Ifeir," hafe discharged^ in srtnie degffefe. their debt of gratitude to thifi 
Abbl^ Serhinary. Of his ^onn6ction <vith this sehool, it in^as aftervirard» 
!ii ah eldellent papeie ill vindication df its utility from the attack of 
itii fo^s, finely said : 

" Fair many yeard ^tttf Hi diitablidhment th« Military Aeademjf^ 
^S8 scafc^^l^ knowH beyond thfe harro\V limits of its own rirde. Fof- 
illri^t§ly the bcdasibn ms hot disti^nt t^hich Was destintid td ims^ th« 
energies of the nation, and call into active exercise the latent benefits 
6f ihfe Ihstittitibii. The namfes bf Wood, McRe^ DouglaS, and a 
host of youthful warriors, who with the yalbr, 8kill,^tid cbhfidert6i 
of hardy veterans, sprung ai once from the pfeacerul \ip ol" scieric,^ to 
tH^ rttde ahd stormy ^eld oi wdr, soon rung wi^H re-echoed soutii^, to 
the remotest corner of an admiring country. They y/ere iMpild Of 



the Military Academy. Then first did West Point become an object 
of eager inquiry. Fathers were anxious to give their sons such an 
opportunity of risino: to renown; and the sons themselves felt the 
glow of youthful, desire kindle in their bosoms, to emulate the noble 
example before them."* 

in the winter of 1807 he had command of the Engineer Depart- 
ment at Charleston, S. C in the absence of his senior, Macomb. — 
He was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Corps of Engineers, 
June 1 1th. 1808. At the commencement of the late War with Great 
Britain he had attained a Majority in his Corps, receiving his new 
rank July 31st, 1812, at the very early age of twenty-four. This war 
with a gigantic Power, that was trampling upon the Eagles of Napo- 
leon, stimulated his fine talents, and alTorded an ample field for their 
display. It was not long after the first shot had been fired before the 
ambition of the young soldier was gratified by the applause of those 
best qualified to appreciate his merit, the officers of the Army. *»Hc 
was usefully employed at various points of the Union between Geor- 
gia and Canada, under Generals Brown, Hampton, and Izard, in the 
North, and Pinkney in the South. "t 

In 1812, then, he must have been in the South, for during the 
remainder of the contest he was at the Frontier Lines, at the North. 
In 1813 Major McRee was attached to the right wing of the United 
States Army, under the command of Generals Hampton and Izard, 
as Chief Eiiglneer, the present Col. 'J'h^iyer, U. S. E., acting as his 
assistant. It is, no doubt, fresh in the recollection of every American 
reader, that an invasion of Canada was prelected by Government, and 
attempted in this year. The whole Army was under the command 
of General Wilkinson, who moved down the St. j^awrence on the 
left, while Hampton, to whom was intrusted the right wing, descend- 
ed the (^'hateaugay river. The aim of the expedition was a combined 
attack on the city of Montreal. Much hard fijfhling occurred, highly 
creditable to our new Ifvies, but the campaign failed, as is generally 
thought and believed, in consequence of igisorance and incompetency 
on the part of tfie Commanders ; this was certainly the case as re- 
gards Hampton and Izard. There is no reason for questioning the 
patriotism and courage of these lentlernen. Their elevation was be* 
cause of their agfe, and some little reputation gained in the partisan 
warfare of the Revolution. Who could, with reason, expect oflicers 
of so little experience, and so imperfect an education in the profes- 

• An article on West Point, "coraraunicated by a distinguished gentleman," 
Niles' Register, vol. 9, page 17. 

f Letter from Gen. Joseph Swift, of Xew York, formerly Chief.of the Engineer 
Corps, a distinguished gentleman, the bosom friend of Col. McRee, to whose 
kindness the author of this notice is much indebted for assistance in compiling 
this memoir. 



sion of arms, to conduct troops sucoessfully on the fields of modern 
strife ? Major McRee, in addition to the duties of an Euj^ineer, had, 
while with Hampton, charge of the Artillery. The march of Gen- 
eral Hampton, in pursuance of the plan of operations agreed upon, 
was finally arrested by the severe action at Chateaugav — Four Cor- 
ners. "This thoui^h a fjilnre on our part was less so than it wou'd 
have been, but for the prompt and energetic aclion of Col. McRee."* 

In the actions in 1814, in the neighborhood of the Falls of Nia- 
gara, Major McUee greatly distinguished himself, under the command 
of General Jacob Brown, being the constant comjianion and adviser 
of that meritorious officer. On the 3d of July the American Army 
crossed over into Canada ; on the 4lh some hard-fighting occurred at 
Street's Cieek ; on the 5ih the well-contested batile of Chippewa 
took place. "The result of this first regular pitched battle furnished 
convincing proof, that nothing but discipline was wanting to give our 
soldiers on land the same excellence which our seamen had discover- 
ed on the ocean. The battle was fought with great judgment and 
coolness on both sides, and its result, considering the numbers en- 
gaged, was exceedingly sanguinary. The total loss of the British, 
under General Riall, was five hundred and five ; the loss on the side 
of the x\mericans amounted to three hundred and thirty-eighl."t — 
After this defeat Lt. Gen. Drummond made txtraordinary efforts to re- 
inforce Gen. Riall, and soon appeared in person on the theatre of strife, 
with his numerous recruits. Atfour o'clock in the afternoon of the 25th, 
occurred the battle of the Falls of Niagara, indifferendy known by 
this name, and that of Lundy's Lane, and Bridgewater. It was on 
this field that Col. Miller made his gallant charge on an eminence oc- 
cupied by the enemy's artilleiy, and carried the key to their position, 
gaining for himself universal applause. The British were eventually 
driven in disgrace from their lines. The British force engaged was 
little short of five thousand men, of whom twelve hundred were mi- 
litia and five hundred Indians ; being nearly a third greater than that 
of the Americans. The British loss was in all eight hundred and se- 
venty men ; the American, eight hundred and fifty-one. 

It is not my purpose to speak of the military ability and intrepid- 
ity of Brown, ^cott, Gaines, Jesup, and Ripley, nor can I add to or 
detract from their fame. I only design to show the part that Major 
McRee played on these occasions, that appeal so strongly to our na- 
tional pride, so pleasing and so gratifying to every lover of his coun- 
try. Major General Brown in his report to the Hon. John Arm- 
strong, Secretary of War, dated Buffalo, August, 1814, in allusion to 
the battle qf the Falls of Niagara, says: "The engineers Majors McRee 

• Letter from General Swift. 

f History of the late W ar by H. M. Brackenridge. 



I 

inci Wood, were greatly distinguished on this day, and their high mi- 
litary idlentS exerted vvilfi great effect ; they were nturh under ray 
eye, ahd near my p<^rsan, and to their assistance a great deal is lair- 
ly id be ascribed ; 1 m«>st earnestly recommend them, as wor- 
thy of the highest trust and confidence. "* General Joseph Swill, of 
Keiv York, writes me, "General Brown has ofien said lo me that he 
esteemed Col, McRee to be the most accomplished military mm in 
the Army, and that he [Hen. B.) was greatly indebted to his counsel, 
and to his undaunted courage for success." Mr. Benjamin F. Builer,t 
iiftns refers to the batde of ihe Falls, or Bridgewater, in an address de- 
livered dt West Point in 1839, before the Dialectic Society : '-Not l6 
kpeik of other?, it was McRee, an 'eleve' of this Academy, who, on 
jlhe field of Bridjjewater, sui^gested the expediency of th?t perilous, 
feut Well-timed order, whose sticcessful execution turned the tide of 
bittlfe, and won for the modest Miller an imperishable wreath ; and to 
fiim, and to Wood, another son of this Institution, who fell at the head 
61 his colunin in the Sortie from Fort Erie, and whose worth had 
feeeri Commemorated by his commander, in the monument that graces 
ybnder plain, may justly be asciibed much of the glory of that me- 
morable campaign." 

Thfe allusion of Mr. Bntler to the charge at Brid^eWater, mu^t 
navk been founded on hitjh authority, or tfie remark would not have 
fc^eri haiiirded in a public address at the Military Academy. I 
j^ri^^tinie He derived his information from some of the heroes of that 
j|rlorions day. As yet we have no history of the late War worthy of 
the name. The contemporary officers are, in its absence, the highest 
authority. I have now before me the following communication from 
thb War Depanment t6 Major McRee. 

War DEPARTatENT, August 19, 1814. 

Sir ;— I havte the horior to transmit herewith a Brevet commis- 
iilbri kk Lieiitenant Colonel in the Army of the United States, whii'h 
ihb President has been pleased to confer updri you as i particular evi- 
dence of hid approbation of yourbonduct in the battle of the 25th of 
July last, near thb Fall^ of the rivet* Nagara. 
Accept^ sit, the assurance of 

My Very grtat rfespcct, 

J. ARMSTRONG. 
iit. Col WitiitxM MtRte, 

By this ebnimisgion he #as t6 f^n\L ^3 Lt. Cbl. b^ Br§fet ftdlti 
«lfe25thof July 1814. 

<♦ ^en. Bfoiirh, having b^§n ii^biirtded iti the battle 6f Nia^fffH, 
IM^M Ofeh. Ripld5^ <^ ^^Kd cdrfitdand ih his steSd. Gi&d. B.\p\hf^ 

* Brannan's Military and Naval letters* 
t Late Attorney General U« fi. 



unable to make a stand against the superior force of the British, re- 
treated to Fort Erie, and anticipating their approach, immediately set 
about extending its defences. " Major McRee was Chief Entjineer, 
and the lamented Wood his assistant. Upon these two ofiicers, of 
course devolved ihe great work of fortifying iheir position, with what 
success the sequel will show. *'The enemy, notwithstanaing their 
pretended victory, did not think proper to follow up the Americans, 
until they had been re-inforced by General DeWatteville, wiih (me 
thousand men. Their whole force, now amounting to upwards of 
five thousand men, appeared on the 3d of August, before a fortifica- 
tion which a few days previously had been considered untenable, and 
commenced the erection of regular intrenchments. The besieged, at 
the same time, labored incessantly to complete their arrangements for 
defence. The position which the Americjiu Army had taken, for the 
purpose of maintaining itseliagainst so great a superiority, posse<'sed 
few natural advantages; and the work called Fort Erie was little 
more than a small unfinished redoubt. Si lated about one hundred 
yards from the lake sliore at its nearest angle, and on a plain ol al out 
fifteen feet elevation, this Fort could \e considered as nothing more 
than the strongest point of a fortified camp. A line of works was yet to 
be constructed in front, and on the right and left to the lake ; the rear 
on the shore bemg left open. The fort itself probably did not occu- 
py more than a sixth of the space occupied by the line of defenres, 
and the remainder could not be otherwise than hastily c(»nstructeil."* 
The approaches of the British were slow and cautions. The Ameri- 
can troops in number were under twenty-five hundred. On the night 
of the 14th of August, a little after midnight, con menred the princi- 
pal "battle of Fort Erie." The enemy assailed the Anjeriran lines 
on the right, centre and left at the same time, hut. on il.e worv'w g of 
the 15th, a little before sunrise, victory declared for the Americans, 
at an expense to the British of 905 killed, wounded, and missing, while 
our own loss was but 84. Gen. Gaines, who had superseded (ii n. 
Ripley, shortly after the commencement of the seige, in his official 
report of this action, thus alludes to Major McRee. 

''Fort Eru, Upper ( anada. August 23, 1814. 
" My attention was now called to the right, where our butteries and 
lines were soon lighted by a most brilliant fire of cannon at il mus- 
quetry: it announced the approach of the centre an<l leit columns of 
the enemy, under Cols. Drummond and Scott ; the lauer was receiv- 
ed by the veteran 9th, under the command of Capt. Foster and Cfpts. 
Broughton's and Harding's companies of New York and Pennsylva- 
nia volunteers, aided by a six pounder, judiciously posted by Major 

* "Brackenridge's History of the War,'J and "Life of General Gaines, con- 
densed from the best authorities by a friend*' 



MpRec, Chief Engineer, who was most active and useful at this 
poini ; ihey were repulsed.'* Again, in the same report he says : — 
•• 'I o MHJ«>r MfRee, I'hirf Knaiiieer, tiie gfreatest credit is tlue for the 
exo«*llent arrangement, and skilful exeouiion of his plans for forti- 
?yina, and defending tl e riglit, and for his correct and seasonable sug- 
gesiKiiis to regain ihf basiion.'' I make the following extract from a 
lener wntu-n hv the same ijallant officfr, to the Department, August 
26th, 1814 : "Our pnsiiion is ijrowing stronger every day by the 
exertions of Majors McRee and Wood, and ilie officers and men gen- 
erally." On the 28th, Gen. Gaines, bting wounded retired to Buf- 
falo. Gen. Brown, having recovered from his wounds, resumed the 
command on the 2d of September, "Frequent skirmishes occurred, 
and a • annonade on either side was kept up ; but nothing of impor- 
tance look place until the 17th of September. General Brown, ob- 
serving that the enemy had just completed a battery, which would open 
a moit destructive fire the next day, planned a sortie, which has been 
considered a m litary *chef d'ceuvre,' and which was carried into ex- 
ecution on the day just mentioned. The design of Gen. Brown was 
to storm the batteries, destroy the cannon, and roughly handle the 
brtffaae on dut'\ before those in reserve could be brought up.''''* In 
all of which he succeeded The British force consisted of three bri* 
pa<les of fifteen hundred men each, one of which was in front of the 
fort, the others being two miles in the rear, in camp. The labour of 
the en^my for forty-seven days, was destroyed ; and, in addition to 
the loss of their cannon, upwards of a thousand of thfir men were 
placed 'hors de combat,' of uhotn three hundred and eighty-five were 
t*. ken prisoners. The Ameriran loss amounted to eighty-three killed, 
two hninind and sixteen wounded, and a like number missing.t The 
enemy immediately raised the siege. VVith this sortie, its concep- 
tion, and ex< cntion, (^ol. McRee, is honorably connected by the un- 
contradicted tr;iditinn of the Army, and the recollection of those who 
partici; ated in the war of 1812 — M4. If not its sole author, he is 
tmdouHtedlv entitled to a fair share of the honors of its paternity. — 
Hi>w f;ir does not appear with certainty. General Swift, of New 
York writes me, "It was and is gfenerally believed that whatever of 
8>. ccess attended the sortie at Fort Erie, much of its plan and its ob- 
ject isd'.eto the counsel of Col. McRee, and Major Wood." Gen- 
eral Brown, in his report to the Secretary of War, Sept. 29th 1814, 
says: "Lt. (^ol. McPee, and Lt. Col. Wood of the Corps of Engi- 
neers, having rendered to this Army, services the most important, 
I must seize the opportunity of again menticming them particularly. 
On every trying occasion I have reaped much benefit from their sound 
and excellent advice. No two officers of their grade could have con- 

• Brackenridge. fOfficial report. 



li 

tributed more to the safety and honor of the Army. Wood, bifave, 
generous, and enterprising, died as he had lived, without a feeling, 
but for the honor of his country, and the glory of her arms. His name, 
and ejiample will live to guide the soldier in the p?th of duty, so long 
as true heroism is held in estimation. McRee lives to enjoy the ap- 
probation of every virtuous and gen'^rous noind, and to receive the re- 
ward tiue to his services and high military talents." Soon after this, 
the following note was addressed to Col. McRee. 

Adjuiant and Inspector Generals Office, > 

30//t November, 18U. 3 

Sir : — I have the honor to enclose to you, the expression of the 

favorable opinion entertained by the President and Secretary of War, 

of your gallantry and military character, during the last campaign^ 

with the left Division of the Northern Army. 

I hope you will do me the favor to accept assurances of my in?- 
dividual respect and regard. ,., 

D. PARKER, Adj't & Insp'rGen'L 
CoL PFm. McRee. 

With this note Col. McRee received his Brevet commission as 
Colonel, to take rank from the 15th day of August, 1814. 

British historians labor in vain to prove that the War on the 
Frontier was only a War of skirmishes. It is painful to them to 
dwell upon their mortifying defeats. The troops beaten by the Ame- 
ricans were tt»e finest in the world. It is true that a part of them 
were undisripliiied savages, and raw militia^ but a large portion of 
them were veterans, that had formed under the eagle eye of Welling- 
ton, whose bavonets had glittered under the Peninsula sun, before 
Whose strengiii the standards f»f Massenaand Soulf. had receded, and 
at whose touch the hosts of France had melted, like snow at the ap- 
proach of Spring.* 

When we reflect upon the triumphs of Chippewa, Lundy's 
Lane, the defe u-e of Fori Krie, and the subsequent victory at New 
Orleans, with such opponents, and such a disparity of forces, not 
only in quality but in numbers, well may we kmdle with exultation. 
No man at the elose of this War, enjoyed in our country so distin- 
guished a military reputation as Col. McRee. "The annals of the 

* The War between the E iglish rnd French terminated by the capture of Paip 
ris, March 29th \S\ 4.-^ Alison's Hldory of Europe, chap. LXXV, p, 367,— 
Vide, Sir Walter Scott's Life of Napoleon, vol. 3, appendix No. 8, p. XLVI.— • 
in speaking of the battle of Waterloo, Capt. John W. Pringle, R, E., remarks: 
" The British troops, however, were not composed of oui best regiments, at leaat 
OUT infantry, nor equal to that army which had been in the preceding year in ttte 
South of France. Many of the most efficient regiments bad been sent to Ame 
rica; first a brigade from Bordeaux to Washington; anotiier to Canada; Mid 
afterwards a force from Portsmouth to New Orleans." 



12 

Frontier War, at Niagara, show that to McRee's military genius and 
valor, Gen. Brown, with just magnanimity, ascribed much of the best 
success of the Army."* Gen. Winfieid Scoit, ihp piej^ent Command- 
er-in-Chief of the U. S. Army, testifies to the fame of Col. McRee 
with a magnanimity that adds a fresh leaf to the laurels his gall-^niry 
has so well earned upon the field of battle. In a lett r lo n^e, dated 
Washington, May 31st, 1843, he writes : ** VVuh the late Col. Mc- 
Ree, I became acquainted in 1814, when we served together in the 
memorable campaign of the Niagara, and I met him nrcusionally af- 
ter the peace, down to near the time of his lamented death. In haste 
I can now only say, that in my opinion, and, perhaps, in that of all 
the army, he combined more of genius and military science, with 
high courage, than any other officer who participated in the war o 
1812. I know that this was at least a very general opinion. Il the 
treaty of peace had not prevented, he would, as I also know, have 
been made a general officer in 1815, and I am confident that he would, 
in the field, have illustrated the highest grade." As a soldier in ihe 
field. Col. McRee was remarkable for his energy, spirit, power of 
combination, knowledge of details, and prof«)und s« ienre. 'J'o his 
ability, all the gallant officers, who availed themselves of his aid, tes- 
tify, with that generosity, which is ever the characterisiic o: the high- 
toned gentleman. None have been envious of his reputation, none 
have sought to detract from his merit; all have claimed him, with 
pride, as the ornament of the Service. "Peace found the virtuous 
and modest McRee, rewarded with brevets" and commendation. 

In the year following, the general Government, desiroue of ele- 
vating the standard of knowledge in the Army, sent Col. McRee on a 
mission to Europe, and associated Col. Thayer with him. His in- 
struriions bear date 20th of April, 1815. He was ordered to embark 
on hoard the squadron about to sail to the Mediterranean, and when 
his services should be no longer required with the squadron, to pro- 
ceed to the Continent, to examine the military schools, work-shops, 
canals, arsenals, fortifications, &c. He was provided with funds for 
the collection of books, maps, and instruments. To defray extra ex- 
penses, he was allowed double rations and the pay and emoluments 
of his Brevet rank. The important duty committed to him, he dis- 
charged to the satisfaction of the Government, bringing back with 
him all the valuable records of European military science and expe- 
rience for the use of the Military Academy. On his return "as a 
member of the board of Engineers, appointed at the end of the war 
to determine upon sites and to lay down a system of fortification for 
national defence. Col McRee was regarded by the Executive and the 
Army as the master-spirit, notwithstanding his association, in those 

• General Joseph Swift, of New York. 



IS 

great labors of the mind, with a distinguished foreign General, tlic 
nominal head of the Board. There is not the least doubt on this subject 
in the mind of any contemporary officer."* In 1819, as appears 
from a report of Mr. Calhoun, Secretary of War, to the Chairman of 
the Committee on Military affairs, Gen. Simon Bernard and Col. 
McRee prepared for the War Department a paper, entitled "Consider- 
ations on the course of instruction necessary for the officers of the 
different arms of an army." Of this paper Mr. Calhoun remarks : "I 
respectfully annex as a part of this communication a report from Gen. 
Bernard and Col. McRee to this department, in which the subject is 
so fully discussed as to supercede the necessity of any further obser- 
vations." In allusion to the Report on a system of Fortifications, in 
the House of Representatives, Mr. Hamilton, chairman of the Com- 
mittee on Military Affairs, in 1826, remarked: ''A general plan for 
fortifying the country has been reported by three gentlemen, one of 
whom is a distinguished foreigner, well known and admired in Eu- 
rope as well as in this country for his great science and ability in his 
profession, and two other officers, who had received end deserved to 
wear, imperishable laurels for their public services, — gentlemen knew 
that he alluded to the Report of General Bernard, Col. McRee, and 
Col. Totten."t Soon after this. Col. McRee resigned his place in 
the army, in the latter part of the year 1819. To an inquiry about 
the cause of his resignation, his friend, Gen. Swift says : "It was 
because of his disappointment and disgust at the course which the 
Government pursued in reference to the Corps of Engineers, and es- 
pecially in reference to the injudicious relation of a foreign officer with 
that corps." Col, McRee had no cause for personal complaint. He 
was himself, deservedly, a favorite with the Government, but his »esprit 
de corps' was deeply wounded. He maintained that it was contrary to 
the true policy of the United States to employ Foreigners in its ser- 
vice ; that our country contained within its limits, talents ample for 
all its purposes ; and that if science was wanting on the part of its 
officers, it was the duty of the Government to afford them opportu- 
nities of acquiring it. He was therefore indignant at the appointment 
of General Bernard, though he only expressed his dissatisfaction by 
giving up his commission. Col. McRee, however opposed to the ap- 
pointment of General Bernard, always entertained the most friendly 
feelings towards that officer, and treated him with the most studious 
politeness. He spoke of his disinclination to the connection of Gen. 
Bernard with his Corps, to some of his brother officers, but assigned 
no reason for his resignation, even to his most intimate friends. In 
explanation of this subject, a sore one to the army at that day, I 

• General Winfield Scott, C. C. U. S. Army. 

t Gales and Seaton's Register of Debates, vol. U, 25, 26. 



14 

give part of a letter from that eminent statesman, the Hon, John C 
Calhoun, then Secretary of War, dated. 

Fort Hili, \2th July, 1843. 

♦♦I had great regard for Col. VVm. McRee. His talents and 
character were of the highest order. He only lacked opportunity 
to distinguish himself as a great military chief. 

'♦When General Swift, who was at the head of the Corps of En- 
gineers, received a civil appointment, I was anxious to place Col. 
McRee in his place, in order to retain him in the Milit?ry service. — 
I knew he contemplated retiring. Col. Armistead, a man of great 
worth, and for whom I had much respect, was his senior. The step 
could not be taken with propriety without his assent. I spoke lo 
him without apprizing Col. McRee of my intention. He had the 
highest admiration for him, and felt the same solicitude, he should 
continue in the service, that I did. He gave his consent without he- 
sitation, accompanied by declarations alike honorable to Col. McRee, 
and himself. I communicated what had occurred, with my wish to 
have Col. McRee placed at the head of the Corps, to President Mon- 
roe, who readily agreed to it. He had also a very high opinion of 
Col. McRee. I made known to him the facts, but so delicate were 
his feelings, and such his esteem for Col. Armistead, that it was im- 
possible for me to overcome his objections to be placed over him, 
even with his assent. I know that Mr. Monroe participated in my 
desire to continue his services in the Corps, and when he had made 
up his mind to retire, felt every disposition to give him ssome eligible 
civil appointment." * * * * * 

*' He was a member of the Board of Engineers to take into con- 
sideration the defence of the country and report on a system of Forti- 
fications, with General Bernard. The latter was not strictly an offi- 
cer of the Army, but had the pay and emolument of a Brigadier Gen- 
eral. His position was anomalous and excited a good deal of discon- 
tent in the Army, and the Corps of Engineers particularly ; and it 
was thought by many it was felt by Col. McRee. But he was not 
the man to make complaints ; if he felt, he never expressed any dis- 
content to me; but always spoke highly of the talents and character 
of General Bernard, as he did, invariably, of Col. McRee to me. — 
They were both eminently talented and skillol Engineers. I regard- 
ed Col. McRee fully equal to the General, and his reports to the De- 
partment, when they made separate, will, I think, fully hold me out 
in the opinion." 

Such praise from a man so distinguished for his spgacity and 
discrimination, as Mr. Calhoun, is no ordinary compliment. The 
conduct of Col. McRee in this matter must commend itself to every 
ingenuous mind. His magnanimity, and generosity was only equalled 
by that which sought his elevation at the price of personal interest. 



15 

A short lime before the resignation of Col. McRee, he received his 
Commission as a lineal Lt. Colonel. After his retirement, he seem- 
ed to court with eagerness the quiet pleasures of private life, so at- 
tractive to one intellectual as he was ; and, aoublless, promised him- 
self inexhaustible pleasure, in the society ot his books. In this pur- 
pose he was further confirmed by his desire to avail himself of his 
knowledge of the Western country, to make and secure such a selec- 
tion of land as would advance the interests of those he loved, *' His 
knowledge of the West, was minute. In the Scientifi*.' and liiterary 
Magazine, published in New York, twenty-odd years ago, were insert- 
ed his remarks on the West, but the notoriety was disagreea'-le u. him, 
and tile publication was arrested at his request."* Soon after ihis he 
accepted the appointment of Surve\ or General. Gen. Swift ■ a\s : '♦He 
nevei sought office, in fact he declined many offers of place and per- 
suasion only induced him to accept the office of Surveyor General, in 
which he found an ungrateful return for faithful and valuable servu-e." 
He was appointed, under the Act of Congress, of March 3d, 1825, 
the head of a Board of Commissioners, consisting of himself, and 
Cols. Talcot and Lee, of the Army, to survey the Western waters, 
for the purpose of selecting a site for a national armory. He devot- 
ed his time, and abilities assiduously, and closely to this service, in his 
anxiety to discharge his duty, endangering his health, and expending 
more than the compensation allowed him. At the close of their la- 
bors the Board made a voluminous, and scientific report, which has 
received the highest praise. In connection with this subject, Gen. 
Swift writes : " How much of the Armory Report, to which you al- 
lude, was composed by Col. McRee, I know not, but the military 
and statesmanlike views which it contains, are so much like his own, 
that it doubtless owes its chief value to his mind." A short time 
previous to his demise, he was appointed one of the Commissioners 
to survey, and run a line of division between the United Slates and 
Mexico, which duty, 1 believe, he performed. 

The labors enumerated are but part of the work of Col. McRee 
in the service of the United States. In the Archives at Washington 
City are many 'Memoirs" from his pen. He declined more than one 
opportunity of employment tendered by individual States, but the Na- 
tion had claims upon him to which he never turned a deaf ear. He 
died in the 46th year of his age, from cholera, in May 1833, and was 
buried at St. Louis, Missouri. 

" Some persons entertained impressions that the Col. was im- 



* General Swift. 

The article alluded to above is to be found in the Literary and Scientific Re- 
pository and (Critical Review, New York, W'iley and Halstead, July 1820. — 
They were private letters net intended for publication. In the same periodical 
the Col, published some Strictures on National Affairs. 



1$ 

practicable and cynical — those who best knew him had no such opin- 
ion of him ; his adherence to his own well considered opinions, in 
some of which he was peculiar, may have induced the former im« 
pression, and deserved sarcasm the latter. 

*»There is a common idea that men find a Prototype amongst the 
Ancients, or follow some distinguished Modern. The Col. was as 
much an original thinker as 1 have ever known. He studied the An- 
cients, and Brutus had with him more congenial points of character 
than Cicero ; but he (the Col.) was also an admirer of Caesar, Napo- 
leon, and Frederick, and yet was he a Republican of enlightened 
caste — venerating law — knowing the necessity of moral restraint. — 
Poetry had high charms for him, and he most admired Byron, though 
he read Young with reverence. I remember also that he was fond 
of conversing about the Reformation, and the opinions of Father 
PaulSarpi."* 

Col. McRee was never married. In his early manhood, he was 
attached to a lady m the South, and succeeded in winning her affec- 
tion. The match was prevented by some misfortune, in what man- 
ner is not known, but certainly through no default on his part. — 
This attachment, it is believed, gave a slightly melancholy hue to his 
character in the future. He ever afterward declared that he had no 
design to marry. His intimacy with ladies was rare, and always in 
accordance with his uniform delicacy. 

♦'Col. McRee was distinguished by a highly cultivated mind, 
strong reasoning faculties, and a safe judgment; to which were united 
the talents of a General and the virtues of benevolence. His society 
was eagerly coveted ; his conversation was most interesting. His 
retiring modesty and deference to others, made it difficult to draw 
him forth, but when the growing interest of atopic had excited his 
attention, his eloquence became alike attractive and instructive. Edu- 
cated by and for the Nation, at an institution where sectional and 
personal objects are lost in a patriotic devotion to the whole Union, 
entire and free, McRee was never known to be a membei of any po- 
iitipal piirty,"t His political creed was Republican. No vice was 
ever imputed to him. He was chaste and temperate. "His religious 
opinions, that were expressed, were what are commonly called PM- 
Insophical, From early youth his deportment was ever grave and 
dignified ; his personal attachments few, warm, and steady. In per- 
sonal expenses no gentleman was more economical. His salary was 
ample, yet he accumulated no fortune, for he had no money-saving 
talent, and his hand was 'open as day to melting charity.' So little 
did he treasure up gold that when he retired from the Army he was 

* General Swift 

t Obituary notice, fumished I believe by an officer of rank in the Army. 



17 

obliged to sell a valuable Library to defray his expenses, and further 
his views in the West. In person ("ol. McRee was rather below the 
ordinary stature ; his countenance pale ; his nose prominent, straight, 
and handsome ; his forehead high ; his eyes a greyish blue, and of 
very thoughtful expression. The general expression of liis features 
when at rest, was grave, sometimes melancholy. His manner was 
leserved until he was drawn out in conversation ; his humor satirical 
without acrimony. In dress he was remarkably plain."* Col. Mc- 
Ree resided in St. Louis many years, where his death was universally 
lamented- He left two brothers still surviving — James F. McRee, M. 
D., of Wilmington, N. C, and Major Samuel McRee, U. S. A. — 
A small, but beautiful Fortification, that frowns upon the waters of 
Pensacola, Florida, indicates the respect of the general Government 
for his memory. 



General Swift. 



JlPPEJ^DIX. 

Gen. Brown "hastened forward with Majors McRee and Wood 
to reconnoitre the enemy, and select ground for the interposition of 
the advancing corps. In performing this service the attention of 
all was speedily attracted by the site given to the British artille- 
ry ; which, from its greater elevation and other circumstances, gave 
it a complete command of the field of battle, and drew from the senior 
engineer (Major McRee,) a decided opinion, that 'to gain the victory, 
the first thing to be done was to storm the British battery.' The 
commanding General entirely coinciding in the opinion, hastened to 
meet the advancing corps, and on doing so, directed Col. Miller 
to put himself at the head of the 21st regiment, and make the 
chirge." — Armstrong's notices of the War of 1812, vol. 2, p. 92, 
in allusion to the Battle of Bridgewater or Lundy's Lane. 



Note Isf. — In the annals of the War, the name of Col. McRee is frequently 
misspelt, generally McCrea. There was but one Engineer of this name. 

Note 2d. — "I thank you most heartily for what you have done for our relief; 
but what I hear of Gen. Izard's habits, character, and intentions^ is so unsatis- 
factory, that I hope nothing from him. McRee, who is a good judge of Generals, 
puts him at the very bottom of the list," &c. — Gen. Brovjn to Secretary of War, 
Z\st August, 1814 — Armfiirong's notices. 

Note 3d. — After the Battle of Bridgewater, Gen. Riple)' would have retired 
disgracefully into the United States, had it not been for the strong opposition of 
McRee and Wood. Their advice was approved by General Brown, who ordered 
the division to Fort Erie, and Gen. Gaines to take command 'vice' Ripley, and 
maintain his position on the Canadian soil. — Armstrong's notices , vol. 2, page 95. 



/^ 



LBJa'13 



